Paula Whiting, of Eastham, Mass. and formerly Brattleboro, Vt., died peacefully on January 25, 2026 in the company of her loving children after a mercifully brief battle with metastatic carcinoma. She was 74.

Born on March 11, 1951, in Hyannis, Massachusetts, Paula was the daughter of the late Francis Whiting and Winifred (Zilinski) Wiersma, and was raised on Cape Cod.

As a young adult, Paula moved to Southern Vermont before embarking on many sailing adventures throughout the Caribbean during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1979, she put down roots in Whitingham, Vt., purchasing a former sugarhouse where she gave birth to her first child in 1983. Shortly thereafter Paula moved her family to Brattleboro, Vt., where her second child was born in 1988. For more than twenty years, she built a life there on Spruce Street grounded in creativity, nurturing, and dedication. In 2008, Paula moved back to her childhood home in Eastham, Mass., built by her late father, where she continued to surround herself there with animals, gardens, and friends.

Paula wore many hats over the years, guided by her strong will, sharp intelligence, and independent spirit that shaped everything she did. She was a chef and a sailor, a postal worker and a crafter. Whatever she did, she held true to herself - she passionately sold Discovery Toys for years, until they started making toys in colors other than primary colors. She worked for years as the secretary for the United Methodist Church in Brattleboro. In 2003, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Writing and Literature from the Adult Degree Program at Union Institute and University. An avid reader and gifted writer, she was intensely proud of completing her degree, and worked for years afterward as an admissions counselor for the same program, promoting its benefits to other adults and helping them reach their goals.

Paula was also an expert knitter and an incredible gardener, known to spend her summers tending her gardens and her winters knitting creations for her loved ones. Taught by her mother and grandmother, she spent decades cultivating both skills, finding comfort in processes that had remained unchanged for hundreds of years in a now fast-paced world. In 2019, her skill led to her selection as one of a small group of knitters from around the world chosen to create an authentic sweater (or, “gansey”) for the Williams Gansey Project, a historic effort to recreate sailors’ sweaters for a commemorative Antarctic voyage retracing the first journey south from England. It was a perfect expression of who she was: skilled, generous, quietly proud of her work, and happiest when creating something useful, beautiful, and meaningful.

A lifelong lover of animals big and small, Paula bred Bernese Mountain Dogs and Golden Retrievers, and rarely lived without a full menagerie. Dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, fish, and the occasional lizard or hamster all found their way into her care.

The truest joys of Paula’s life, however, were her children, grandchildren, and friends. She loved fiercely and loyally, with sharp wit, dry humor, a quick mind, and unwavering devotion.

Paula is survived by her son, Trevor Rogas and Alana Steinsiek of Auburn, California; her daughter, Chelsea Rogas and Christopher Iaquinto of Medfield, Massachusetts, and her four grandchildren: Makenna (12), Stella (9), Corinna (9), and Miles (3). She is also survived by her sister, Jeanne Kinney and her husband Richard Kinney, as well as many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Friends and family are invited to join a celebration of Paula’s life on Saturday, April 4, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. at the Retreat Farm, 45 Farmhouse Square, Brattleboro, Vermont.

In lieu of flowers, please hug a dog, nurture a plant, or watch a sunset in her honor.

If you wish to make a donation in Paula’s memory, please consider:

• Project Linus — https://www.projectlinus.org;

• ACLU — https://www.aclu.org, or

• Your local animal or women’s shelter.

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